Astro The Space Dog Is Safe And Sound After Wild Journey

LAUDERHILL - — His saviors named him Astro. Something about the lamppost globe stuck on his head called to mind a cartoon spaceman.

Make that space dog.

But his real name is Shabba, according to his owner, Tonya Morris, who retrieved him from the animal shelter last week.

How Shabba got to the shelter - a mystery to Morris - was directly related to the plastic dome on his head, whose origin is a mystery to all.

The shaggy-dog story unfolded on Feb. 26, when a crew of firefighters returning from re-fueling their truck spotted the reddish-brown dog acting strangely. To wit: banging his globe-encased head against an apartment building.

Fire battalion chief Pete Gannon theorized the dog stuck his head in the globe to lap up water that had collected there. Or maybe he was just curious.

Either way, Shabba's dog days were numbered if the plastic sphere wasn't removed quickly; he was breathing his own air and would die from carbon dioxide poisoning unless freed.

The firefighters lashed the confused Shabba to a post to keep him from escaping or attacking his rescuers, then sent for a special air-powered saw to cut the plastic. Within 15 minutes, the imperiled pooch was pried from his prison.

After snapping some photos, the firefighters called county animal control officers to collect the dog they dubbed Astro, who was now slobbering in gratitude.

Morris meanwhile, arrived home from work to discover her Akita-Rottweiler mixed breed had once again busted loose from his leash. "He's very strong," she said.

Morris searched the streets for Shabba. Days passed. She called neighbors, and eventually the animal shelter. There she found Shabba, and took him home after paying $58 in boarding fees.